Never Forget Me
by mirrorimage33
Summary: Grimm and Ichi have been together since they were born. But, when Ichigo's father takes a job in America and the whole family moves, Grimmjow and Ichigo are ripped from each other's grasp. Now, ten years later, when Grimm's a delinquent and Ichigo never smiles, what happens when they meet again? T for swearing and suggestive stuffs later on...sorta...I guess...maybe. R&R please! :D
1. Prologue

**sorry I haven't updated** **Kidnappings and Love in a while, but I've been really busy with school. That, and I have writer's block. **

**On the other hand, I have so many plots, story ideas, rough drafts, and parts of chapters written out for some things I came up with while on a weekend trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas to visit a friend. We went to a con and I got so many ideas, I thought my head was going to explode. My friend said he wondered how I didn't get them mixed up.**

**God I'm so ADHD. ****_ANYways,_**** here I am, with the PrOlOgUe to one of those new stories! Yay!**

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_Grimmichi_

**Never Forget Me**

_PROLOUGE_

_Grimmjow and Ichigo were such good friends. Since they were born, they'd been together. They did everything together; played at the park, went to birthday parties and sleepovers, if one got sick, the other stayed beside him. They were the best friends that any friends could be and they were friendly to everyone around them, too. They never wanted to be apart. But, when they were six, Ichigo had to move away. His father got a job offer at a big hospital in New York and took it. So, Ichigo, his mother and father, and his younger sisters moved to America…before the two boys could even say goodbye. Grimmjow and Ichigo were both devastated to have had the other ripped from their grasp. All contact with the other lost, they still haven't seen each other in ten years. But, never have they forgotten each other…_

_-Ichigo-_

_Ten years ago, I moved to America. Throughout those years, I kept up practice in speaking Japanese. My father told me that when I turned sixteen, he'd pay for me to go back to Japan. And I turn sixteen in three days. So, he's sending me back early. _

_A lot happened while I was in America. First of all, about three weeks after we moved to America, my mother fell down the stairs and when she landed at the bottom, she landed so that the very last stair snapped her brain stem. She…she died. It devastated us all, but we got through it. After that, I just…stopped smiling, I guess. I didn't have very many reasons _to_ smile. Sure, I made a few friends, Chado and Shinji, but that's just because they liked the fact that I kept quiet as well. Now, though, I'm going back to Japan. Shinji and Chad are actually coming with me because Shinji moved here when he was ten, but still knew Japanese and wanted to go back and Chad had always wanted to go. So, now, we're on a plane to Japan. _

_I know my chances to see my blue-haired childhood friend are slim to none, and I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but truthfully, I can't bring myself to bring my hopes down from their place in the clouds._

_-Grimmjow-_

_I don't remember much from when I was a tiny child. Nothing at all, really. But…there was always this one thing – or _who_, I should say – that I remember perfectly. From his bright orange hair to the scar on his left cheek from when we were climbing trees and he fell. From his barely visible freckles to his bright, wide chocolate eyes. He was my best friend, who I was with since birth, but ten years ago, I lost all contact with him when he moved away to America._

_I lost my happiness in life after that. I mean, I was an accident, so my parents hated me. They abandoned me two years ago, when I turned fourteen. Like, literally on my birthday. Haven't seen them since. Anyways, after Ichigo left, I didn't smile, when I entered school, my grades were never any good, I started getting into fights. My life just went downhill. When I was about thirteen, I met some other delinquents like me. Nnoitra, a six-foot-seven, skinny mother fucker, Ulquiorra, a five-foot-two pale, quiet ass, and Starrk, a five-foot-eleven, always fucking sleepy or sleeping fucker. I have strange friends. I started hanging out with them when Nnoitra and I got into a fight and I won. He grinned at me and asked me to join their group. Since then, they've been my brothers. _

_I gotta tell you, truthfully, every time I see a read head of hair walking through a crowd, I go after them. Whether it's long hair or short, I go after it. Never once have I actually seen his face on any of those people, but then again, I still try – still _hope._ It's useless, I know. But I can't stop myself from wanting him to come back. To make me stop fighting when people talked about me or my hair like he used to. I can't help but want him to come and I stay the night at his house, staying up all night and sneaking around, looking for sweets in the kitchen. _

_But, I guess the next best thing is happening today. I'm going to the airport so we can pick up my younger sister. We used to be so close. I mean, not as close as Ichigo and I were, but we were close. And when my parents ditched me, they took her too. They apparently took pity on her because I suddenly got a call from her yesterday telling me that she was coming to live with me and my friends in the penthouse suite my parents left me (because, despite being assholes, they're rich mother fuckers). Of course, my friends love her. She's two years younger than us, but she's amazing. She can even make fucking Ulquiorra smile. It's quite funny. So, she's now coming to live with us in the giant apartment we have (thank god I've got four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Starrk offered to take the couch – I swear that fucker can sleep anywhere. And I'm pretty sure none of us guys could stand to share a bathroom with a girl.) and everyone's excited. _

_I just can't shake the feeling something's gonna happen. _

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**Like? No? Please review and tell me your thoughts and what you think of it. If you find some pointers you think would work better in the story or don't think I'm steering it in the right direction, tell me! **

**KK, love you! &amp; Thanks for reading!**

**\- T**


	2. Ichi-berry and Grimm-Kitty

**KK, so I got a few reviews (thanks!) and the two or three that I got said 'more!'**

**So, here I am with more!**

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-Ichigo-

I stepped off the plane, Shinji and Chado behind me, and headed to the baggage cart. As I reached for my bag, another hand, dainty and tan, reached for it too. "Oh, sorry. Is this yours? Mine looks just like it." I looked up to see a girl, 14 or 15, with wide eyes and sea-green hair. She had blush that stretched across the bridge of her nose and in a flash she was hugging me. "Ichigo? Oh my stars! This is so awesome! I came back home at the same time you did!" she squealed. "N-Nelliel?" I couldn't believe my eyes. Grimmjow's little sister was jumping up and down in front of me – the same little sister that had been four-and-always-wore-her-brother's-shirts the last time I'd seen her. "Yeah! Isn't this amazing? Hey, who are the guys staring at us?" I turned to see Chado and Shinji with their bags; Chado thankfully had mine. "Those are my friends. Shinji, the shorter one, used to live here, and Chado, the taller one, wanted to come along." She nodded excitedly.

"Nel! Little Sis! Been so long! Come see your big brother!" I heard a deep voice rumble through the crowd. I stared as I saw a blue-haired teen followed by three others. One was at _least_ seven feet tall with a bandana tied over one eye, a short, emo-looking guy with wide green eyes, and another tall, sleepy looking guy. The four teens parted the crowd and walked towards Nel. I barely noticed the others as I recognized the blue-haired teen as my childhood friend, Grimmjow. _Will he remember me?_ I asked myself.

I watched as he picked her up and swung her around. She giggled and ran to hug the sleepy guy. Then she hugged the emo and finally ran to the lanky giant. The giant tickled her sides and she giggled, "Nnoitra! St-stop it!" 'Nnoitra' gave a deep chuckle and let her go. I kept staring at Grimmjow though. Nel ran back to Grimmjow and squealed, "Look, look! Ichi-berry's here too! Isn't that great?" Grimmjow stopped smiling and slowly turned in my direction, his eyes following the length of her arm. His cerulean eyes jumped from her finger tip to me and my breath hitched. Without my consent, my feet slowly started to move until I was only a foot from him. He'd gotten tall, looked like a delinquent, and had a few more scars on his face and arms than I remembered. "I-Ichigo?" he choked out. "Yeah." I whispered. He stared at me for a few moments before he crushed me into a bear hug, one arm on my waist, the other holding me close by the small of my back. He lifted me slightly off the ground, to where only the very tips of my converse touched the ground. I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck, and breathed in his scent. He smelled of cologne and cinnamon, mixed with chocolate. He pulled away, his hands now resting on my hips, keeping me at close. "So you remember me?" he asked quietly. I chuckled and leaned my head on his chest. "Who could forget their blue-haired best friend, huh?" He hugged me to him again for a short hug and let go. Grimmjow gave me his signature shit-eating grin that I remembered from when I was little and I smiled in return.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned to see my friends looking at me curiously, yet expectantly. "Oh! Shinji! Chado! Sorry, sorry. Mmkay, so this is Grimm. He's the childhood friend I've told you about." I turned to Grimmjow, "Grimmjow, this is Shinji and Chado. Chado's the bigger one." Grimmjow grinned. "Nice to meetchya both. Ichi-berry, the tall fucker is Nnoitra, the sleepy one is Starrk, and the emo is Ulqiorra. They're my friends. And, of course, you know Nelliel." I nodded. Nnoitra stepper forward, holding out a hand. "Wassup? Nnoitra, but you can call me Nnoi. This one here," He gestured to Grimmjow with the hand I wasn't shaking, "never shuts up 'bout chya. 'Ichi-berry this' 'Ichi-berry that'. It's nice ta finally meetchya!" I grinned, looking over at Gimmjow. "It would seem as though you missed me just as much as I missed you." He blushed a deep red and sputtered, "Y-Y-Yeah, well…" We all chuckled at him. I checked the time and realized it was time to go so Shinji, Chado, and I could meet our new land lord. Grabbing my bag from Chado, I dug for a pen and wrote my number on Grimmjow's hand. "We have to go, but here's my number. We're also going to be at the local high school on Monday. Bye! It was good to see you!" Uryu and Chado followed me as I hailed a taxi. I turned and waved one last time before shutting the door and giving the driver the address to our new home.

-Grimmjow-

I watched Ichigo and his two friends hurry away and hail a taxi. With one last wave at me, Ichigo shut the door and the taxi drove off.

"So…that's him? Strawberry, huh?" I turned my head to see Starrk completely awake, looking at me expectantly. I grinned like the idiot I was. "Yeah! Ain't he wonderful? Just wait 'til ya actually get ta know 'im. If he's still as fiery as he used ta be, you'll love 'im! All ya gotta do is call him Traffic Cone or Carrot-Top. Or my personal favorite – Strawberry! And, we even get ta see 'im Monday!" I was so ecstatic. My all-time best friend had just returned to me, along with my little sister, and he still _remembered_ me! And he still had the warmest hugs, too. That little scar on his left cheek stood out against the freckles on his face. He still didn't seem to give a damn about his hair colour. And he sure as hell seemed just as happy as when he left, all smiles and shit. I knew I wasn't going to be able to stop smiling like a dumbass for at _least_ the next two days. "C'mon. Let's take our little sister home." I said as I walked off, hailing a taxi as well.

Next Monday, I was going back to school for the first time in a long time.

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**Yay! Chpt 1 done! R&amp;R, please! **

**kk, loves and kissies!**

**-T**


	3. Shin-chan's in love?

**Hey guys! Okay, so those of you following my story, Kidnappings and Love, may have noticed the...uh...****_announcement_**** I made not even an hour ago.** **Those of you that didn't, you should go check. **

**Anyways, I realized I'm an idiot. Out of all the stories I've read, not once have I noticed the DISLCAIMER! Therefore, I keep forgetting to put mine up. So, here it is.**

**If I owned bleach, Grimm and Ichi would be married, as would Nnoitra and Shinji, and Kenpachi and Urahara would be too. And Byakuya wouldn't have a pole shoved so far up his ass. ;D**

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Ichigo

When we arrived at our new home, we were shocked. I had to give it to him – my dad had done good.

3 bedrooms - each with a closet, full-sized bed, and a desk - 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, a living / dining area, a pantry, a giant flat-screen in the living room along with a surround sound system, and two mustangs in the down stairs garage, one sleek black (mine) and the other a black one with pink racing stripes (Shinji's) and, since Chad didn't drive, he didn't have one. Needless to say, my father still had friends in the area.

As I was unpacking, my phone rang with an 'unknown' number. The area code was in my area, so, guessing it was Grimmjow, I answered.

"Hello?" I asked. "Yo! S'this tha Ichi-berry Grimm's always –shit!" the man yelled as I heard a loud bang in the background. I heard a further off yell and the man on the other end started speaking again. "Sorry. So, anyways. 'You the one he's always goin' on 'bout?" I was quiet through-out the whole ordeal. "Umm…I-I just…yes?" I choked out. "Hey! Great ta know yer real. Fer a while there, we all thought you Grimm's imaginary friend. Sorry I couldn't be at the airport. I had some business to attend to. So tell me 'bout yerself." I was stunned. Did I tell this man what he wanted to know? Did I hang up? I ended up choosing the safe route. "What's _your_ name, mister?" I heard a door open, some muffled, angry shouting in the background, and a door slammed. The man chuckled over the line. "Ma name's Gin Ichimaru. I'm one a' Grimmy's bestest friends! I think he likes you better, though. I like to cause him trouble." I laughed at his mock- innocent tone. As I was going to comment that the two of us used to cause trouble, too, I heard a loud pounding on what I supposed was a door.

By now, I had picked up that 'Gin' had been running from someone and was now hiding in a closet of sorts. I guess the person he'd been running from was now the one pounding on the door.

"ICHIMARU! YOU GIVE THAT GODDAMNED PHONE BACK RIGHT NOW! I SWEAR IF YOU'RE CALLING SOMEONE IMPORTANT AGAIN, YOU WON'T LIVE TO SEE TOMORROW!" the angry voice from earlier yelled as the banging on the door continued. That angry voice was Grimmjow.

"Um…excuse me, Mr. Gin, but you don't happen to be calling from Grimmjow's phone, do you?" I heard Gin chuckle. "Why, yes. Yes, I do." I then listened as he chuckled again, a very creepy sound, and whined in a mock-pouty tone, "Well, Grimmy. I do hope ya don' count this sweet Ichi-Berry I'm talkin' to as important. That would mean I'm breakin' yer rules again." The banging stopped for a few moments before it started up again, harder than before.

"ICHI! I'M SO SORRY YOU HAVE TO TALK TO THAT BASTARD! AND, YES, GIN! YOU SHOULD _KNOW_ I OBVIOUSLY COUNT HIM AS IMPORTANT! GIVE ME THE PHONE!" Grimmjow now sounded desperate. "Mr. Gin? Could you hand the phone to Grimmjow? I'd like to talk to him. But, I promise I'll talk to you sometime too, okay?" I said in a sweet tone before bursting into a fit of giggles when I heard the man stutter, "Uh…uh…y-yeah. Sh-sure." I listened as a lock clicked and Grimmjow stopped banging. The door was ripped open and the phone snatched from Gin's hand.

"Sorry, Ichigo. He just-." I cut him off with a laugh. "No, Grimm. It's fine. He was actually really sweet. Just wanted to know about me, my name and such. Even told me he was sorry he couldn't make it to the airport. Though…I don't think he knew you didn't know I was coming back." I giggled again. "It was funny listening to you play chase."

Before he could respond, there was a knock on my door before Chad poked his head in. "Ichigo?" I looked over and smiled. "Hold on Grimm." I put a hand over the speaker. "Yes Chad?" He opened the door and stepped in. "I'm going to explore the area, so I'm leaving Shinji with you. Is that okay?" I nodded and he quietly stepped out of the room again. "Sorry, that was Chad. Anyways, as you were saying-."

ICHIIIIIIIIII!" I heard Shinji yell as he came barreling down the hall. He slammed the (already open) door into the wall and launched himself onto my bed. "ICHI! Who ya talkin' to? Can I talk? Ichi! I wanna go out! Chad's gone! C'mon! Ichi, can we go see tha' blue-headed friend 'a yers? I wanna talk to his friend! Ya know, the tall, dark headed one! The one with the bandana! He's so hot! I think I'm in love! I mean, didja see his grin? C'mon! Let's go see tha' friend 'a yers and ask him where that sexy hottie is! Please, Ichi?" Shinji finally stopped his ranting and just sat staring at me. I sighed, giving in.

"Hey, Grimm? You heard all that, right?" I asked. "Yeah. I think he was talking about Nnoitra." I sighed again. "Do you think we could meet up in the old park we used to play in? And could you bring Nnoitra with you?" Grimmjow laughed. "Sure, Ichi-berry. When do you wanna meet up?" I looked at my watch – 3:30. "How about four?" I could just hear the grin on his face. "Sure," he told me. "see ya then!"

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**Thanks for reading! Love you all!**

**-T**


	4. Ren-chan and Shiro-kun

**IMPORTANT:**

**Yeah, um, I totally just realized this whole story is fluff. Complete fluff. There's not really any climax. It's just a story of how they reintegrate themselves into each other's lives. I mean, yes, there's obviously going to be some romance between the two as it goes along, but...there's not a lot of majorness to it. It's just a cute little story that'll end when I'm satisfied (meaning when Shinji and Nnoi get together and Grimm and Ichi realize their feelings as they grow closer once more.)**

**ANOTHER THING: Those of you that were or are following my best story, Kidnappings and Love, I may or may not have found inspiration again...just saying. ;)**

**KK, well, bleach ain't mine by any means, seeing as Gin's dead, Ukitake and Shunsui aren't together, and Tesla is alive (I think...)**

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I looked at Shinji after I put the phone back in my pocket. "You have twenty minutes to do whatever you want." I sighed, knowing Shinji and his thought process like the back of my hand. I knew he was planning something devious. He squealed giddily and darted out my door and into his own room, yelling on the way, "Change into your 'fuck me' jeans and your hot Fall Out Boy long-sleeve! Ya know, the white one with the rips? And put a black tank under it! And that cute belt with the rainbow skulls! Your black Chucks, too. Then let me do your hair!" I sighed, moving to the closet. There really wasn't any arguing with Shinji.

Dressed ten minutes later, I sat in front of my dresser mirror as Shinji spiked and ruffled my hair more than it naturally was, because I apparently 'looked like a total sexy badass uke with my hair spiked iun every direction' as Shinji put it. "Oh, he is so gonna drop dead! Both of 'em will! Look at us – all sexy and stylish. Man, those hunks'll be droolin' over us!" Shinji gushed, running his hands through my hair again. I blushed crimson. "Shin! I don't want Grimmjow _drooling_ over me. We're just friends!" I exclaimed. "I mean, sure. He has a really nice, rock hard body that is really comfortable to hug and his hair had this sexy look like 'I just had hot sweaty sex and I _still_ look better than you ever could.' And his eyes seem to rip out my soul. His walk is like 'I'm sexy and I don't even know.' And his smirk makes him look like he's going to eat me up and his deep, rumbling voice is sexy as hell. He smells like cinnamon and chocolate and raspberries and… OHMIGOD I CANNOT BELIVE WHAT I JUST SAID!"

Shinji giggled uncontrollably as I turned beet red. "C'mon, Ichi. S'time ta go!" He dragged me down to the garage, shoving me into the driver's seat of my black mustang and climbed into the passenger seat beside me. I started it up and revved the engine.

I was kind of depressed that I'd wrecked my deep red Camaro with black racing stripes because it had been my baby. It was my life. My dad had gotten it for me using money my mom had put into an account. It was for my sixteenth birthday, but Dad got it for me a year early. He took me out on my permit to pick up groceries from the market. As we were riding down the interstate, someone slid on the rain-slicked road and my car was totaled. Shinji had also loved that car – he thought it was manly, sexy, and really hot listening to the engine rev and purr. For me, it was relaxing. So, when I revved the engine, Shinji squealed and playfully fanned himself as I melted into the seat as we both listened to the purr of my new baby. Backing out, I drove to the park I so remembered from my childhood.

-Grimmjow-

Nnoi and I sat on the park bench, watching the trees sway back and forth across the road and the cars drive by. We'd gotten cleaned up and we'd both put on baggy, faded jeans. I had slipped on a black t-shirt while he'd gone with a white one, both tight fitting to show off our built chests. I had taken out the cartilage piercings in my ears, leaving one silver hoop in my left ear. I also left in my lip piercings in. Nnoi had taken out all of his ear piercings, leaving him with just a tongue piercing and one on his right eyebrow. In short, we looked good, if I _do_ say so myself.

"Sooooooooo….when'd jya say they's s'posed ta get 'ere?" Nnoitra asked impatiently. Checking my watch, I told him, "Five more minutes, Nnoi. Shut up." He sighed, leaning his head back on the bench as he closed his eyes. "Tch. What princesses."

"What's this about princesses?" a familiar voice asked. My head shot up as I looked over to see Ichigo and his flamboyant friend walking towards us from a sleek black mustang. Ichigo held a set of keys over his shoulder and pressed a button, making the mustang beep. "Hey." he greeted, walking closer and sitting down cross-legged in front of me. His blonde friend did the same in front of Nnoitra, the later staring down at him like he was going to eat the blonde up. I turned my eyes back to Ichigo when his phone rang. He pulled it out, smiling down at the screen when he saw the caller, though, from where I was, I could only see a picture of a pineapple.

"Wassup?" Ichigo answered, grinning like an idiot. He paused to listen to the other end and then replied, "Yeah, I'm fine….no, I didn't die any….yes, Shin's fine too…..Chad's good…I've half way unpacked…..yeah, well, Shinji had to get out. See, there was this guy we met at the airport. He's real tall, at _least_ seven foot, dark headed, kinda rough on the edges, but seems to be soft at the core….mmm, yeah…no, no, Ren. You don't have to worry. He's Shin's type, not mine…yeah, I-!" The blonde, after sitting and staring at Ichigo the whole time, squealed suddenly and yelled, "OH MY GOD! Is that Renji? Let me talk to him! I've gotta talk to him! C'mon Ichi!" Shinji tackled Ichigo, sitting on his thighs,while he yanked the phone from Ichigo's hand.

"Ren! What's up? We just got here and I haven't even started unpacking and I'm so excited because it's so pretty here and it's small and easy to navigate so I'm a little less likely to get lost though I'm sure I'll manage it and when we got off the p[lane, it was like destiny 'cause we met Ichi's blue-headed friend that he always talked about and Big Blue has this tall friend, a hottie mind you, and he's dark-headed and he's got poercings and he's got this bandana ocer his left eye and OMG I swear I'm going to marry him and I really hope he's gay and I'm so excited and," the blonde finally stopped to take a breath while shoving Ichigo back down by his face so h couldn't get the phone back, "I heard that there's this amazing amusement park and Ichi promised to take me and Ichi looks so sexy 'cuz he's wearing his 'fuck-me' jeans and that belt with tha rainbow skulls and his black converse, ya know, the ones we splattered with neon paint, and his Fall Out Boy shirt, tha one with the camo-lookin' bubble letters and I did his hair and he's got his glasses on, tha ones with the thick black nerdy rims, instead of his contacts and you should totally come visit as soon as the weekend comes and oh my gosh Ren, you're gonna love it here and they have anime and comic shops and they have amazing parks and we're in one right now and you have to come and you make sure to bring Shuuhei and Toshi and Kensei, and Shiro cuz you guys could totally set up some gigs in Tokyo and Shiro and Ichi need to see each other or they'll die of separation! So, on a side note, how are you?" Shinji finally finished. He listened for a few minutes before laughing and bidding a good bye to whoever was on the other end. For some reason, it was making me feel jealous and possessive over Ichigo because his blonde friend was still sitting on his lap. The phone was handed back to Ichigo, who started talking again. His blonde friend, on the other hand, didn't get off his lap, and instead laid down on his chest and tucked his head under Ichigo's chin, still straddling his thighs.

"Yeah, sory about that Ren. Shin just got a little excited. Anyways…..yeah, that'd be fine. Oh, Shiro's there with you? Lemme talk to him! Lemme talk to him!" Ichigo – no, I couldn't believe it either – squealed as his face lit up like a kid in a candy store. "SHIRO! I MISS YOU SO MUCH! YOU HAVE TO COME VISIT ME REALLY SOON! LIKE, GET ON A PLANE IN THE MORNING! I WANT YOU TO SEE MY NEW HOME AND…oh, it's already morning….THEN CATCH THE NEXT FLIGHT! PLEASE SHIRO! … But Shiro…..screw school….please…..Shi….I really want you to come and I…please…." Ichigo now looked like he was on the verge of tears and I was steadily getting pissed at the other person on the line. "Really? Awesome! You can even meet Grimmjow!" He nodded excitedly as he listened to the other person on the line. "Yes…mm-hmm….yep…..okay, Shi! Love you! Bye!" He closed the phone and a devious grin came across both his face and his blonde friend's. "I can't believe he still falls for the 'I'm about to cry so you have to make me happy' gig. You have him wrapped around your pinky finger." Shinji giggled. Ichgo giggled along with him. "Yeah, he's always had a weakness for my puppy eyes and my 'let me have my way' voice. He's a total sucker." Ichigo finished as they both burst into another fit of giggles. Getting up off Ichigo, the blonde sat back down in front of Nnoitra and looked at him, trying to stifle his fit of tittering. Ichigo sat up as well and when he looked at me still smiling, our eyes met, and my breath caught in my throat as I realized something. He was gorgeous.

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**haha! yes, I do believe I am semi-evil by leaving you on a not-so-but-kinda cliff hanger. **

**SO, who is Shiro to Ichigo and why is he wrapped around Ichi's little finger? When is there gonna be NnoiShin action? What about Grimmichi? What did Grimm mean by Gorgeous? **

**Find out when I get around to typing again! **

**;D **

**-T**


	5. Asking, Remembering, Telling

**Heyya! How is da readers taday?**

**Haha. Anyways!**

**Bleacg isn't mine, unfortunately. Please read and review!**

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-Ichigo-

After Shinji finally got off me, I looked up at Grimmjow, still trying to smother my laughter, and he was giving me this funny look. I guess I was giving him the same look, though. _I mean, really, Ichigo,_ I thought, _just because you were best friends when you were little doesn't mean that everything's going to be the same as when you left._ I broke our gaze, looked down into my lap, and sighed. Glancing over at Shinji, I froze. _Wasn't he just like, three inches away from me?_ I thought, because now, Shinji knees were practically touching Nnoitra's shins and they were sharing a grin, oblivious to the world around them.

"Tell me that blonde friend a' yours is gay. _Please_ tell me he is and not secretly a woman." Grimmjow whispered as he, too, stared at the two. I slowly nodded my head. "As gay as any gay man can get. Blunt and vulgar as fuck, too." I whispered back. We looked at each other and grinned. Then he frowned. "So…I didn't see yer family with ya at the airport…where're they?"

"America. Dad and the twins love it in New York and…Karin's even got a boyfriend." I told him. He opened his mouth to say something, but Nnoitra said something first.

"C'mere, Blondie. I gotta nice warm lap fer you ta bounce on later and I ain't gonna take 'no' fer an answer." He crooked a finger and I watched as Shinji pushed himself off the ground, put his hands on Nnoitra's shoulders, and leaned down to kiss him as he sat with a knee on either side of Nnoitra's thighs. The taller male put his large hands on Shinji's hips and yanked him even closer as Shinji groaned. I turned back to Grimmjow. "I dunno about you, but I'm not watching my best friend dry hump someone in public." My friend looked at me incredulously and then snorted. "I ain't getting between those two, but you feel free." I quickly shook my head. "Nah, I was thinking more along us leaving them to get arrested for PDA in a nature park and go walking along Willow's Clearing, yeah?" Grimmjow grinned and we got up, heading towards the back of the park.

We found Willow's Clearing when we were six. See, our moms always took us to that particular park when we were little. One day, while they were paying attention to our younger sisters, we bolted off to run around the part of the park we weren't supposed to go in. I had said, 'Hey, Gim! Les play hide an' seek!' and he'd beamed and agreed. When I ran off to hide, I dove into a bush because he'd yelled 'ready or not.' I turned around, and gasped. There was an almost completely faded path leading farther into the woods. As I was about to emerge from the bushes, someone laid their hands on my shoulders suddenly and yelled 'Gotchya!' I had screamed, and then turned to see Grimmjow grinning smugly at me. I remembered the path and said, 'Gim! Look, look! There's a footpath that way! Wanna check it out?' In the end, we didn't get to check it out until the next week and there wasn't much to it. Just a little grown-over trail that led to a tiny clearing with a willow tree to sit under. That became our hide out. Eventually, though, we had to show our moms where the place was so they wouldn't get worried. After that, we'd bring a few toys with us, but all we usually did was talk or climb the trees. I fell once and that's where I got the scar on my cheek. Grimmjow had the breath knocked out of him though, because he'd tried to catch me.

When we got to the bushes, we both stopped and stared. The bushes were now way taller than us. "So…." I started, "Have you been in there since I left?" Grimmjow shook his head slowly. "No. Not since the day Mama Misa came and took you away." I cringed at the old nickname – Grimmjow had always called my mother 'Mama Misa' because she was as close to a good mother he'd ever gotten. I knew he was going to ask about her sooner than later, but I still wasn't prepared for it. "Ready?" he asked with a deep breath. "Yep, have been for ten years." I retorted. He pushed aside parts of the bush and I stepped through, with him close on my heels, and headed to our Willow's Clearing.

"Wooooooowww…." I exclaimed as he whistled. "It's so…over-grown now." Grimmjow nodded. "Hey, look! Let's go see if those two nubs are still there to sit on." He suggested happily. I smiled and we pushed through the willow's vines and saw the trunk. We looked at each other and smirked. "You ready?" he asked. "Ready to what? Beat your ass at climbing to our spots just like old times? Sure." I snipped. "Whatever! I'm not the weakling I used to be!" his smile widened to a shit-eating smirk and I rolled my eyes. I held up a fist, raised one finger….another….a third, and we both took off, launching up the tree as fast as we could. I sat down on the target branch seconds before he sat on his, huffing and panting. "Damn, I forgot how exhilarating that is! There's no trees like this in New York." I shifted, leaning against the trunk and propping m feet up on my branch. He did the same on his branch that wasn't even six inches lower than mine. His branch grew just to the left of mine, thus, it was easier for us to talk.

"So…" I started lamely.

"So…" He answered back.

"_Damnit_! I always thought that, if and when I ever met you again, we'd be just like we used to. Playin' around, hide and seek, tag, all of that, but…both of us have changed…so much." My grin faded into a sorrowful face, and then a small bitter smile. "So much…" I whispered. Grimmjow didn't respond for a while, both of us just listening to the birds and insects and sounds of nature, when finally, "Yeah. Some of it I regret, ya know? Things like not being able to protect Nel from my dad, playin' hooky for the last two years, getting into all the fights I did….maybe if Idda tried harder in school…maybe they wouldn't'a left me...but there are things I don't regret. Things like Nnoi, Starrk, and Ulqui, hell, even Gin. Like my piercings, tattoos, and Nel. Didjya know? I still get inta lots of fights…and everyone I get into…I always think a hand, small and dainty, will grab my arm and pull me into a hug while telling the teasers to shove off. I always think that, and it never does me any good. I always wondered if you'd come back, and if you even remembered me, and I just…." He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging, but I knew what he meant. "Me too, ya know. Yuzu and Karin…they never really remembered you…I mean, they were two when we left. They don't even remember Japan. But…once when they were seven….Karin came into my room. 'Ichi-nii?' she had asked. I just grunted and rolled over, wondering what the hell she was doing up at one AM. I voiced my thoughts and she closed my door and walked to my bed. She had told me 'Ichi-nii, I had a strange dream. I've seen it before…twice maybe. What does it mean?' and I had asked her to tell me about it. 'Well, it starts out in this…park I guess…and I'm watching two ladies walk along the side walk, like I'm following them. They have these babies with them. The one with teal-ish hair had only one baby and the one with long pretty hair the color of Yuzu's had two. Then there were these two little boys skipping along in front of the ladies. I never can see anyone's face, but…one little boy had hair like yours and the other had baby-blue hair. How silly, huh?' All I could do was agree and send her back to bed. I never told them about you, not once. It scared me…I thought something had happened to you. When I turned thirteen, Dad told me I could come back when I was sixteen. After about a month in America, I stopped smiling. I made a few friends, Shinji being the gay one I can giggle and shop with and the rest being really cool, but that wasn't until high school. It's been rough." I sighed, finishing. "So, tell me Strawberry, how's Mama Misa doing? I kinda miss her." Grimmjow asked, suddenly interested and curious. I recoiled and looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. "She's, uh…she's not…well, I mean….she…stairs and…brainstem…" I tried to find the right words, but nothing would come out. I breathed a heavy sigh. "Out of all people I didn't want to have to tell….look Grimm, Mom's not….about a month after we moved and got settled in, Mom tripped on a toy I had dropped and she fell down the stairs…when she hit the bottom stair, it snapped her brainstem in two. There was…there wasn't anything the doctors could do…" I stopped as my voice finally became barely even a whisper. Finally gathering the courage, I looked over to Grimmjow to see him with a blank expression. "Grimm…?" I whispered. He just continued to stare. By now, I was on the verge of tears. _Why isn't he responding? Is he going to blame me? Everybody always tells me it wasn't my fault, but I know it was…_ I thought. I didn't notice that tears were steadily running down my face until Grimmjow reached up from his branch, grabbed me by my waist, and yanked me into his lap, pulling me close to his chest. "I'm so sorry Ichigo. I didn't…I wouldn't have brought it up had I known, and…I'm really sorry…" he whispered as I cried my eyes out into his chest. This was truly the first time I had cried over my mother's death. When she had died, I always thought she was coming back because I couldn't understand death, but when I finally did, I hadn't felt the need to cry. But, now, when Grimmjow was offering his kindness to me, I was going to take it.

-Grimmjow-

I don't know how long I sat there, holding Ichigo to my chest, letting him bawl his eyes out as I processed the fact that the closest person I had ever had as a mother had been dead for nearly ten years, but by the time the sun started to set, Ichigo had calmed down. At first, it was awkward, him being in my lap, but then, once I helped him get his foot on a ridge in the tree, we climbed down, deciding to go check on our friends. On our way there, his phone rang.

"Hey, Shi! What's up?...no way! Really?...All of you?...That's so awesome!...Yeah, of course we'll pick you up, what time do we need to be there?...seven AM, okay. And, I guess you're bring your instruments?...no?...Okay, well one of you will have to ride with Shin….A'ight. 'Kay! Love you too!...Bye, Shi!" Ichigo hung up the phone and we both looked over to the park bench we had left our buddies on in time to see…ugh…a nasty make out scene.

Ichigo's little blonde friend had taken his hair out of its little braid thingy and it was now hanging down to his ass in wavy curls. He still had his knees on either side of Nnoitra's thighs and he had one hand clutching Nnoitra's face while the other was wound in his hair. Nnoitra's bandana had been slipped down so it hung around his neck, showing the scar on his left eye. He had his hands gripping Blondie's ass as Blondie grinded down into him, their tongues in each other's mouths and their eyes closed. I cleared my throat as we neared, but Nnoitra just took one hand off of Blondie to flip me the bird, almost immediately replacing it to it former position. I looked to Ichigo for help and he just rolled his eyes, smirked, and mouthed 'watch this.'

"SIGH! I GUESS I'M JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TELL GRIMMJOW THE WONDERFUL NEWS THAT THE GUYS ARE COMING TO TOKYO IN THE MORNING BY PLANE AND WE'RE GOING TO GO AND PICK THEM UP SINCE SHINJI IS BUSY MAKING OUT. SO GRIMM, I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOU TO MEET THE GUYS! THEY'RE A LOT OF FUN! AND-!" Ichigo said loudly when he was suddenly interrupted by a vulgar gasp. I turned in time to see Blondie pull away from sucking face with Nnoitra to stare at Ichigo, red faced and gasping for air.

"They're coming here?" he asked excitedly with a grin on his face. Ichigo sighed. "I'm not talking to you until you fix yourself." He turned away from the pair and I watched as Shinji slipped out of Nnoitra's tight grip by pinching his arm and harshly biting the tip of his nose. Blondie then ran to Ichigo while straightening his clothes. "Seriously, though. Are the guys really coming?" Ichigo grinned and nodded excitedly. The jumped up and down and squealed as they started chatting a mile a minute about what they were going to do.

"Wait! Where are they going to sleep?"

"Well, obviously, Shi's in your room, Ren's in mine, and Hitsu, Ken, and Shuu are in the living room."

"Yeah. Guess so. Hey, but we're going to be in _Tokyo_ tomorrow! We should _totally_ go shopping while we're there!"

"OMG Yes! And it'll be so cute to listen to Kensei and Shuuhei talk in American and look all confused when we start talking in Japanese!" They giggled at that.

"Awww…I'm already missing it! Down side, though!"

Blondie gasped. "Downside?!"

Ichigo nodded gravely. "We have to get up at _five frikin AM_!"

Blondie gasped again, put an arm over his eyes, and pretended to swoon as Ichigo caught him. "Oh! The despair that fills me at your bad news, Ichi-san! It gives me the shivers and puts me on the verge of tears!" The blonde whined dramatically.

"Oh, I know. Isn't it wretched?" They both stopped and stared at each other before they went into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Nnoitra came up beside me and leaned down to whisper "Why do all tha sexy ones gotta be tha freaks?" I chuckled along with him as we watched the two playfully shove each other. Suddenly, they stopped, and Ichigo whispered something in Blondie's ear, before they both turned to the two of us with maniacal grins. Ichigo swiftly ran forward, the blonde already running away, and smacked me in the middle of the chest, and then he took off after the blonde, screaming over his shoulder, "TAG, MOTHERFUCKER! AND YOU HAVE TO PLAY TOO, NNOITRA!" I stood, stunned as Nnoitra grinned at me and took off after the two smaller males. _What the fuck?_ I asked myself. I shrugged and darted off after them, felling like I was six again, playing with my best friend.

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**Thanks so much for reading and sticking with me this far! Hope you'll continue to read!**

**KK, well, until next update!**

**-T**


	6. Flight 156 and the band

**Hey guys. Okay, so this is a really long chapter (at least for me) so be prepared. **

**KK, well, UNFORTUNATLEY, Bleach isn't mine (or is it fortunate?) Please read and review!**

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-Ichigo-

I groggily shuffled into Shinji's room the next morning at four to wake him up, knowing it would take him an hour to get ready.

"Shin. S'time ta ge u'." I slurred as I reached down to shake him awake…only to find I was shaking blankets. Knowing that it was _impossible_ for Shinji to be up yet, I checked my room to see if maybe he'd slept walked and I hadn't noticed him. _Not there._ I was now wide awake as I checked Chad's lock to make sure he hadn't broken habit and still locked it. _No Shinji in there, then…_I rushed into the living room to see-

Shinji sprawled across Nnoitra's chest, both of them asleep on the couch. Grimmjow was asleep in the floor. The two visitor males had on a pair of Chad's sleep pants each and no shirt, while Shinji was…Shin was in his boxers.

The night before, Shinji had insisted that the two of them come home with us because they _'Just _HAD_ to meet the boys and- oooooooooh! Grimmy's gonna be in trouble with Shiro!'_ Therefore, we let them crash on the couch.

An evil smirk formed on my face as I thought up the perfect way to wake them all up. I headed into the kitchen with sick thoughts in mind…

_BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!_ "GET UP! UP, UP, UP! GET U- sorry Chad. Just try to ignore it. UP UP UP UUUUUUUUP!" I yelled as I banged the two biggest pans we had together. Grimmjow shot off the ground with a dazed, confused, and terrified look as Shinji screamed and tumbled off Nnoitra. Nnoitra, on the other hand, didn't move. Frustrated, I walked to him and whapped him upside the head with one pan. He sat straight up on the couch and glared at me after he got his bearings.

"Ichi…why ya wakin' us u'so eeeearllyyy?" Shinji garbled. I rolled my eyes. "The boys are coming today. And you have thirty minutes to get ready. And remember we're going to Tokyo to shop as well. Hurry." Shinji shot off the ground and bolted to his bedroom. I turned back to the other two. "Shower's second door on the right down the hall. I'll put your clothes in the washer while you take a shower," I paused to hit Nnoitra again because he was dozing off, "because you two smell like sweaty guys. Chad's shampoo and body wash are the two small blue bottles. Avoid anything else in there because for one, you _don't_ want to smell like a fairy – _ahem_ – I mean Shinji all day and I'm almost out of mine. Okay?" I asked, smiling down at the two half-awake guys. They nodded sleepily as I collected their clothes and Grimmjow headed off to the shower.

So, thirty minutes later, Grimmjow was sitting in my passenger seat as Nnoitra stuffed himself into Shinji's. I pulled out first, Shinji following as I pulled my phone out and dialed Renji's number.

"Yo." Renji answered. "Ichi, do you know what time it is?"

"Yes, nitwit. But we had to get up early so we could leave and get to Tokyo in time to pick you guys up."

"Awww. How sweet. But why did you need to call me?"

"So you could wake the others up."

"And why is that?" He sounded really irritated as I heard him wake the other band members up.

"Because Shin and I have to get up this early, so you fuckers have gotta suffer too. _And_ we're subjecting you to a full day of shopping in Tokyo. Oh, and Ren?"

He grumbled. "What?"

"You have to sleep in Shinji's room."

There wa silence on the other end until- "WHAT?!"

"Yeah…'cause Shi and I always share a bed, Kensei and Shuuhei get the couch pull out bed, Toshiro will sleep anywhere, so he'll sleep on the floor, and Chad refuses to share a room with anybody – not that I blame him. That leaves you in Shin's room."

"I hate you. So much."

"You love me, really." I laughed as I listened to him grumble some more. "Well, now that I know you're awake, I'll see you in an hour or two. Tell Shiro I love him! Bye Ren!" I just barely heard him protest before I hung up. I looked over at Grimmjow, smiled, and raced Shinji down the back roads.

Almost two hours later, Shinji and I pulled into the airport parking lot. All four of us got out and just as we entered the doors, we heard and female voice announce, _"Flight 156 has landed. Flight 156 has landed."_ Shinji gasped from beside me and then we both squealed.

"THEY'RE HERE!" We startled and old couple passing by as we ran to the gates, completely forgetting that there were two other people tagging along with us, only at a much slower pace. Shinji and I bounced up and down on the balls of our feet as we stared excitedly at the plane's door. We watched people trail out and down the portable staircase. We were starting to get discouraged, because the last person to come out of the door was a little old lady and she had just stepped off the bottom step…when there was a loud crash from the door and a red-headed male stumbled into the light, looking as if he'd just emerged from a fight with a lion and had won (It was probably just Shiro, though). He bent down to grab his bag, only to barely manage to get it as he was shoved from behind and went tumbling down the stairs. The albino, white-haired demon that had shoved him popped up in the door way, grinning. He pulled the handle from the top of his suitcase and started dragging it behind him as he smugly descended the staircase. The red-head had gotten up by then, with the help of some attendants, and was waiting at the bottom. The white-haired demon grinned at him and shoved his shoulder. The other male didn't even bother shoving back as two brothers, a tall, buff, short-silver-haired man, and a slim, dark haired male, emerged as well, and were followed by a short, blazing-ass-white-haired guy. The three of them came down, joining the other two, and the five band members turned towards the shocked crowd. After another minute or so of staring, everybody went back to their business as Shinji and I were ready to burst. As soon as they came through the detectors, my blonde friend and I jumped them.

"SHIRO!" I yelled as Shinji yelled, "RENJI!" We ran to them and Shirosaki immediately dropped his bag to grab me, pick me up, and swing me around in a circle. "Ichi! How are you?" Shiro asked as he sat me down and planted a kiss on my forehead. I kissed his cheek and grinned. "Perfect, now that my favorite guys are back with me." He smirked and let me go so that I could greet the rest of them. Renji was still trying to pry Shinji off, so I turned to Toshiro.

"Hey, man. How's my little brother?" Toshiro smiled, which was only for rare occasions, and said, "Great. Karin told me to tell you Hi." I nodded as I pulled him into a brotherly hug. He and Karin had been dating for a little over a year, and, even though he was two years older than her, I supported them. Soon enough, Karin would be eighteen and she could graduate and go on tour with them like she wanted. I ruffled his hair and looked back to Renji. He was now free of Shinji (who was now squeezing the life out of Kensei). I smiled and we hugged. I smiled into his chest, as he was too tall for me to do much else, and pulled back. "It's only been a day and a half, but I missed ya brother." He smiled back at me and nodded his agreement.

_"__And are you just going to forget about us? We can't understand you, man, but I can guess that you weren't talking about Shuu and me."_ I heard a deep American voice growl. I turned to see a grinning Kensei and Shuuhei and ran to them. Kensei squeezed me before Shuuhei ripped me from Ken's grasp and hugged me to himself, instead.

I pulled away as I remembered the tag-along's from earlier and whipped around to see them awkwardly standing at the sidelines, Nnoitra with a jealous look as Grimmjow seemed to be staring off into space. I ran to them, dragged them to the group, and my smile threatened to split my face in half as I said, "Nnoi, Grimm, this is Shirosaki, Renji, Kensei, Toshiro, and Shuuhei. Guys, this is Nnoitra and Grimmjow." I pointed to each one of them as I said their respective names. Nnoitra walked over to Shinji, yanked him off Kensei's arm by his waist, growled at Kensei, and dragged a giggling Shinji back to the place beside me, keeping a tight grip on his waist.  
_"Wait, what?"_ Shuuhei asked. _"I didn't get that. English please?"_ I sighed.

_"__Shuu, Ken, this is Nnoitra and Grimm." _I repeated.

_"__Okay, and this Nnoitra character…why did he look at me like he was going to murder me and why is he being so rough with Shinji?" _Kensei questioned, apparently suspicious of Nnoitra. Though, it wasn't me who answered him.

_"__Be_CAUSE_, Ken, he's my boyfriend and he didn' like me hangin' on other men. It's not your fault." _Shinji snickered. _"Real sweetie, ain'ee?"_ Kensei nodded warily and I sighed.

"Okay everybody, let's just get in the car. Grimm, Shiro, and Toshiro can ride with me. Nnoi, _Ken, Shuu, and Ren can ride with Shinji. C'mon._" I lead the way back to the two mustangs with Shiro's arm around my shoulder and Grimmjow walking on my other side. Toshiro trailed behind us, tapping away on his phone.

After everyone was packed and ready to go, Shinji's car stuffed full, I was about to get into the driver's seat, when Toshiro tapped my shoulder and then pointed to the other side of the car. I looked up to see a strange sight.

Both Shiro and Grimmjow had their hands on the passenger seat door handle and were glaring at one another. Finally, Shiro shoved Grimmjow onto his ass and scoffed, "Pussy." Grimmjow shot off the pavement, but before a fight could start, I got in between them.

-Grimmjow-

_It's just a stupid seat. Why can't he just let me sit there? It's just the passenger seat. Damn. He's acting like he's Ichigo's boyfriend. Wait…what if he is? _

For some reason, that thought pissed me of even more. I had no idea why, but I was pulled from my thoughts when the white-haired guy – _Damn…I think his mane's Shiro…maybe. _– shoved me to the ground and called me a pussy. I Shot off the ground, ready for a fist fight, when Ichigo came darting around the car. Just as always, I had the unconscious thought that Ichigo was going to grab me, pull me into a hug, and tell this guy to shove off. But…he didn't do that.

Ichigo got in front of Shirosaki and put a hand on his chest. He looked up at the slightly taller male, met his eyes, and the white-haired guy calmed down without even a sound of protest. At the time, I had no idea why that hurt my heart so much. My stomach twisted at the thought of Ichigo calming not _just_ someone else down from a fight, but _calming my would-be apponent_ instead of me.

"Shirosaki, you will sit in the back seat," Ichigo started and I grinned in triumph at the other guy's scowl before I scowled as well, "as will you, Grimmjow. And it will not be the backseat of my car." He grabbed us both by the collars of our shirts and dragged us to the blonde's car. He ripped the back door open and glared at the occupants. _"Renji, Shuu, Ken, change of plans. You three are riding with me. These two idiots and Tosh are riding with Shinji." _The three males scrambled out of the car, in what I suspected was fear of Ichigo's wrath. He shoved me in the car, stepped aside to let the quiet, short male get in the middle, and then shoved the asshole in. He was about to close the door, when he leaned back in. "And Shinji? If these two speak a _word_ or move a _muscle_ on the way back, tell me." The blonde nodded, but frowned. "But Ichi, what about shop-" Ichigo held up a hand. "Not right now, Shin. Right now, I wanna go home and drop these dimwits off, and then you can get in my car and I'll bring you back up here, okay?" Shinji nodded and Ichigo slammed the door shut and stalked off to his car. He ripped the driver's door open, got in, and slammed it shut. I sighed as Shinji started the car, turned on _Panic! At The Disco_, and pulled off after Ichigo.

"Nice going, Shi. Whatever you and Grimm did, you sure pissed Ichi off. And Grimm, I'd steer clear of doing anything other than sitting up straight, still, and proper, holding your pinky up when you drink, and saying nothing unless you're spoken to for the next week when you're around him 'cuz if you even step a toe outta line, your certain death in guaranteed as a blot on your timeline." I nodded, actually a little unnerved at how serious the blonde sounded. When I peeked at the other guilty party, he looked just as terrified as I felt.

I then realized that, whoever this guy was, if he picked a fight with me, he would get scolded like a puppy by Ichigo. But, I also realized that the same would happen to me if _I_ picked a fight with _him_. Obviously, we needed to stay clear of each other, and that didn't seem very likely.

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**Thanks for reading! Review please!**

**LOVE YA'LL!**

**-T**


	7. the Make Up Process

**Hey guys! I'm finally back! Yay!**

**Anyways, if bleach was mine, Ichigo and Shiro would be twins (and on good terms) and Toshiro would be SO much more layed back than he is. Therefore, IT AIN"T MINE. XD**

**kk, well, please read and review! Thanks!**

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-Ichigo-

I angrily shoved the apartment door open as everybody else trailed in after me. Shiro and Grimmjow were the last two to come in and Shinji closed the door behind them.

"Get over here." I commanded as I pointed to the spot in front of me. Shiro and Grimmjow hung their heads as they shuffled over. "Now explain to me just _why_ you were going to fight." I could hear Shinji translating for Kensei and Shuuhei in the corner.

"Well…Ichi I wouldn't expect you to understand…" Shiro started. I glared something fierce as I bit out, "_WHY?_" Shiro lifted his head to meet my eyes. "Well, we were just asserting our male dominance over-" Shiro stopped as I smacked him upside the head. "_MALE DOMINANCE?!_ WHAT?!" I turned to Renji. "Do _you_ understand that?" He shook his head with a fearful look on his face. I turned back to the older two in front of me. "Explain it then." I demanded at Shiro, as calmly as I could.

"Well, Ichi, like I said. We were trying to show each other our dominance and ownership over you." Shiro told me with a serious look, like he _actually meant it._ I growled as I heard Shuuhei suck in a breath when Shinji translated and then Shuu whispered, _"Wrong thing to say, Shi. You're in deep shit now."_

"Your _dominance_ and _ownership_ over me?! SHIROSAKI OGICHI, I DON'T _CARE_ IF YOU'RE DOMINANT IN BED. I DON'T CARE IF _GRIMM'S_ DOMINANT IN BED. I DON'T CARE IF I'M THE ONLY SUBMISSIVE MALE IN THE WORLD IN BED, I HAVE A _DOMINANCE_ OVER _YOU_. NOW, BOTH OF YOU ARE GOING TO SIT YOUR ASSES ON THAT COUCH, AS WILL THE REST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, AND YOU TWO WILL NOT SAY A WORD OR MOVE A MUSCLE UNLESS SPOKEN TO OR ASKED TO MOVE UNTIL I COME BACK WITH TEA. AM. I. CLEAR?" Both Grimmjow and Shiro nodded and sat down on the couch, as far away from each other as they could and Nnoitra and Shinji took the space in between them. The other's filled in the other spaces, Shuuhei leaning against his brother's knees and Toshiro sprawled in the middle of the floor, as I stalked into the kitchen to make tea.

I sighed as I set the kettle on the stove to heat, calming down form my previous anger.

_They just met and they're already – what? Showing dominance? What's that even supposed to mean? Neither of them own me. Jeez…_

I sighed again as I turned back to the whistling kettle and put the tea bags in. I covered it with the lid and walked back into the living room, where Shinji had already set up cups. I poured everybody a cup and sat down right beside Toshiro's sleeping head. I looked up at the two culprits and sighed, once more.

"Guys…I can't have two of some of my favorite people fighting, let alone on first sight. With the way brawn takes over both of your brains – sorry Grimm, but it's true – I know I'll probably never figure out what Shiro means by 'male dominance', but let me remind you that, for one, neither of you own me, for two, you don't _have_ a 'dominance' over me – hell, if I say jump, you say 'how high?' – and three, I like each of you exactly the same amount. Just like I like Kensei and Shuuhei equally, Renji next, Toshiro, and then Shinji the most." I smiled mock-innocently as there were protests all around the room (except for Shinji who was squealing in delight). Everybody paused…and then we all started laughing. Shiro reached down and pulled me into his lap, where, as everyone was laughing, he whispered, "**_Don't ever get that mad at me again, please._**" I was shocked to hear him speaking the language he grew up with in Germany, as he had told me he'd wanted to forget it all after his guardian died. I smiled, loving the drawl he put in it, and whispered back, "**_I wasn't truly mad in the first place._**" I felt him grin as he poked me in the side and I squealed. Shinji looked over and poked me in the stomach and I squealed again. I glared at Shinji. "THIS MEANS WAR, BITCH!" I screamed as I jumped on him and we started a tickle fight. Kensei and Renji quickly got the upper hand on both of us when Kensei grabbed our waists to hold us down and Renji tickled us so hard we couldn't breathe.

_It's good to be back with my guys._

-Grimmjow-

I grinned as I watched Ichigo interact with his friends, glad to see him smiling…instead of glaring at me. I had noticed when Shirosaki had pulled him into his lap and whispered something and how Ichigo had smiled and whispered back. That was when the tickle fight started. Some movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I looked over to see the (is he albino? Really pale?) white-haired guy motion for me to follow him. We walked out the front door, onto the balcony, and I watched as he pulled out a pack of cancer sticks and lit it. He leaned against the railing that looked out at the other side of the apartment block. I grinned and pulled out my own pack and lit up, too. He looked over and smirked. "Ey', jus' don' tell Ichi-berry tha'chya smoke. 'Upsets 'im." Shirosaki looked back out at the street.

"So, who _are_ you?" I asked finally. He looked over and gave me an inquisitive glance. "Whatchya mean by tha'?" he asked.

"Well, how'd ya meet Ichi? How long ya known him?" I clarified.

"I met 'im 'bout seven years ago, we were nine. I met 'im 'cause my ma died and so I went to America ta live wit' Ichi and 'is fam'ly. Well, hold on, le' me rephrase tha'. They're my fam'ly too, and my ma was actually ma Aunt, s'just tha'…I didn't know 'til she died. See, when Ichi an' I were born…okay. This ain't goin' how I meant for it ta. Jus'…okay. So my ma, my real one, and her sister, my Aunt who I _thought_ was my ma for the first nine years a' my life, came from a fam'ly that always believed in equality. So, when they foun' out that my Aunt couldn' 'ave kids, everyone was dev'stated. Then, 'bout a month later I think, my ma announced that she was pregnant wit' twin boys. So, my ma's ma, my Gran'ma, ordered, yes, quite literally _ordered_, my ma to give one a' the twins up at birth to my Aunt, 'cause all my Aunt had ever wanted was a' young boy ta love. So, nine months later, I was given up to my Aunt and Ichi and I never knew the other existed 'til my Aunt died in a car wreck.

…Ya know, I'm still not close ta the rest a' the fam'ly. S'just Ichi. Dad…he doesn't like that I get inta fights at school and I think he's a creep and weirdo, Karin…she seems kinda neutral 'bout me, but I think Yuzu's scared a' me. She always sits farthest away from me an' I don' think I've ever been ina room wit her wit'out someone else, too. Ichi, though…he takes care'a me, keeps me outta most trouble, lets me sleep wit 'im in his bed when I got nightmares or I'm lonely. He took a likin' to me when we first met, really got me goin' and outa ma funk after ma died. He even taught me Japanese an' English, and I taught 'im German. 'Been tryin' ta cope wit the fact tha' he's movin'. I mean, wit tha way tha band's goin'…I'm not gonna be able ta keep up wit Ichi, not gonna be able ta stay wit 'im. I been tryin' ta spend as much time as I can wit 'im, but now he's across tha world." Shirosaki sighed and dropped his cigarette on the concrete, putting it out with his shoe.

I looked over to see a pained look on his face. "So…you're his twin?" Shiro nodded, then turned to me. "How did _you_ meet him?" he asked.

"Well, there's actually…not much to it. My mother and his dad worked together for years and had been friends since high school. We were together even when we were still lima beans. After we were born, we shared a day care crib, play rooms at each other's houses, food plates, everything. We were in sync on everything. When he left for America…I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. My mom hated me because she'd wanted a girl, and I wasn't planned. My little sister was, though. My _dad_ hated _her_ because he wanted a boy. Dad beat her and didn't feed her right and always got mad at her, but it was always when mom wasn't home – which was a lot, because she was a full-time doctor at the hospital. I always went crying to Ichi when Dad started up again. I mean, damnit, she wasn't even three. So, when Ichi left…I kinda shut myself off from the world. I grew up to be the delinquent I am and I met my best friends when I was twelve. When I was fourteen, they left me. And mom dragged Nel along with her. But, yesterday, Nel came to live with us – my friends and me – and when we got to the airport, Nel had bumped into Ichigo. I spent yesterday with him at the park from about an hour after he got home to about an hour after dark. And then Blondie decided we – uh, Nnoitra and I – were going to spend the night with them so we could meet you guys. And…I'm sorry about earlier…I guess I just…" I trailed off, unsure off how to continue. Shiro grinned and patted my back (rather harshly) like an older brother would his little brother.

"I get it, man. Now, I gots a few questions for ya. First of all, please tell me you're gay, 'cause, an' I ain' gon' say who, bu' _someone_ in there has got their eye on you, an' tha closest thing to a gril in there is the blonde – and he's obviously taken." I wondered if he was serious, but he didn't look like he was kidding.

"I, uh…well, yeah, I'm…gay, but…is there really someone in there who…likes me? H-how would you know?" I stuttered. He grinned at me like a maniac.

"Well, I jus' gotta way a' knowin'. Okay, so ma next question. When I leave, you're gonna watch out for Ichi, right? I mean, I'll have monthly visits, but I gotta have someone here, takin' care'a ma Ichi. So, you'll do it, right? Can' have Shin doin' it; he'll just ge' Ichi in more trouble." This time, he looked more hopeful and pleading than deadly like when he'd asked me if I was gay. This time, I smiled.

"Wouldn't dream of lettin' him go again." I told him sincerely. It made me happy that he was so concerned for Ichigo.

"A'ight. One more. An' you gotta be honest wit me here." I nodded. "Okay. Do you-" He suddenly stopped when we heard a sniffle from behind us. We both slowly turned around…to see everybody else stuffed in the doorway, listening to our conversation. Nnoitra was snickering, Ichigo and Shinji were hugging each other, staring at us, and tears were running down their faces, Kensei and Shuuhei were listening intensely to Renji, who was translating, and Toshiro was just grinning smugly right beside where Ichigo and Blondie were blubbering. I sucked in a breath, as did Shiro, and ran to Ichigo.

"Ichi! Hey, are you okay? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I asked, panicked. Ichigo let go of Shinji (who immediately got up to latch onto Nnoitra and bawl into his shirt) and grabbed a hold of my neck and just sat there, crying into my chest. I turned my head to look back at Shirosaki for help, but he looked just as clueless as me. I turned back to Ichigo, put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him away slightly, so I could look at his face.

"Is jus' tha'…you were…jus' so swee-sweet and you we-we-were jus' li' brudders an', an' it w-was s-s-so nice t-to see you two make up-p…an' tha' – an', and…" and then Ichigo broke down into tears again. Shiro came over and knelt down beside us, and Ichigo latched onto him, too, and brought him down into a group hug between the three of us. I looked at Shiro, who looked as if he was trying not to laugh – not that I could blame him, though, because I was trying not to laugh as well. I mean, Ichigo, who he knew and I remembered to be a tough guy, was bawling his eyes out because 'we were just so sweet and like brothers.'

Finally, Ichigo let us go, pulled himself off the ground from where we were, and we all headed inside.

So, that was how I ended up in between Shuuhei and Kensei, answering all of their questions about Japan. I was really glad I had taken English class seriously.

Shinji and Nnoitra had disappeared off to Blondie's bedroom, and Ichigo, Renji, Shiro, and Toshiro were playing Call of Duty on Ichigo's Xbox.

Kensei, who had been asking about Tokyo, was interrupted by the doorbell. I looked down to Ichigo.

"You expecting someone?" I asked. Ichigo shook his head, though.

"Nope. No idea _who_ that could be."

I frowned and everybody got quiet as I slowly got off the couch and made my way to the door. My hand went behind me for the pistol in the waistband of pants, but I didn't pull it out just yet. I peeked through the door and sighed.

I, unfortunately, knew the four people on the other side of the door.

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**Thanks for reading! I love ya, my readers! **

**Review please!**

**-T**


	8. Shin-chan and the 22 Caliber

**I gotta say, I hate this chapter. Not because anything bad happens, so don't get your panties in a wad, but...I just hate it. I had my girlfriend read it, my gay friend read it, a few friends read it, and they all say it's fine and that, and I quote, "Every story has to have some kind of cliff hanger or drama, whether it be small drama, big drama, it doesn't matter. S'long as it's drama." This coming from the most laid-back, hippy-ish person I know. ANd they want ****_drama._**** Is anybody else going 'huh?!' **

**So, yeah, I added a wee bit of drama, angst, hurt/comfort, whatever you wanna call it. And...this chapter happened. I dunno, it feels...slow, I guess. Or, maybe it's too fast, maybe I crammed to much dialog in. Please, tell me. I hated this chapter. **

**ANYWAYS, Bleach isn't mine. **

**Please read&amp;review!**

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-Ichigo-

I watched Grimmjow get up off the couch and head for the door. He put his hand behind his back, like he was reaching for something, but, after the last ten years in New York, I immediately recognized that as him reaching for a gun or weapon. I sucked in a breath, alarmed, but then I remember that it was Grimmjow. He peeked through the peep hole and sighed.

"Who is it?" I asked. He turned and grinned sheepishly.

"Well, you've met them before, but you may not want me to let them in…" He trailed off as he looked anxiously back at the door when the person on the other side started banging on the door and simultaneously ringing the doorbell. "Yeah…they're persistent…" Grimmjow looked like he wanted to laugh.

"Let them in. Apparently, today it's 'the more, the merrier.'" I said, grinning. Grimmjow just nodded and breathed two deep breaths before he grabbed the door knob and opened the door.

The door didn't get half way open, though, before a smaller, silver-haired male jumped on Grimmjow. Grimmjow was apparently ready for this, as he steeled himself and barely wobbled when the force impacted with his chest. The smaller male wailed, "GRIMMY! WHERE YA BEEN! WE BEEN SO WORRIED 'BOUTCHYA CAUSE YA DIDN' COME HOME AN' YA DIDN' CALL AND NNOI'S MISSIN' TOO! WHAT'RE WE GONNA DO?!"

Surprisingly, Grimmjow shoved him to the ground and opened the door wider for the other people to come in. I recognized everyone but the one that had first come through the door. It was Grimmjow's friends, Starrk, Ulquiorra, and his little sister. Nel squealed and rushed through the door next, then in came Ulquiorra dragging a sleepy Starrk. He dragged Starrk into the living room and shoved him so that he plopped onto it in the spot Grimmjow had previously occupied. Nel rushed over to me and jumped on me, hugging me as tight as she could.

"Where is Nnoitra?" Ulquiorra asked in a monotone voice. Just as Grimmjow was about to answer, a rough voice from the hallway answered for him, "Getting a blowjob from a frisky, talented blonde. And then some. Would've gotten a second one, had you assholes not come barging in. And _tell_ me that wasn't _Gin_ I heard wailing."

Nnoitra grimaced as he heard the silver-haired male before let out a squeal of happiness and run towards him. Just as the smaller male was going to try and tackle him as well, Nnoitra side-stepped at the last moment. A shirtless, flushed Shinji walked from his room in sweatpants and to the kitchen, patting Nnoitra's chest on the way, saying, "You really should treat your friends better."

The silver-haired man popped off the ground and started wildly looking around the room, his eyes finally landed on me. He grinned wider, "You Ichi?" he asked. I studied his face, which resembled that of a snake, what with the way his eyes were always closed and he had a constant grin. I was _going_ to respond, but Shiro chose that moment to shoot up off the ground with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, an' who d'ya think ya are, bargin' in 'ere an' runnin' around makin' noise an' inneruptin' ma vict'ry o'er these losers an' not even botherin' ta intr'duce yerselves?" Shiro demanded. Gin's grin turned seductive and he walked closer to Shiro, held out a hand, and told him, "Well, excuse me, then. Ma name's Ichimaru. Gin Ichimaru. Call me Gin, please. And I suspect your name is 'Handsome Devil?'" Gin looked innocent enough, though, if you looked close, tilted your head, and squinted, he was obviously flirting. Shiro grinned back and grabbed the hand and shook it hard. "Well, s'nice ta meetchya, Gin, an' actually, ma name's Shirosaki Ogichi. 'M Ichi's twin." Gin grinned and nodded.

"OH FOR GOD'S SAKE. Shiro, you just met him." I sighed, exasperated. Shiro sputtered indignantly. "B-but Ichi! H-he-I-I didn't start it this time!" I nodded. "Whatever. Look, guys. Everyone. Come in, shut the door, please. By now, it's almost noon – it's lunch time. Nnoi, will you call the pizza place and order seven. I don't care what kind they are, but everybody has to agree to at least one. I'll go make some tea. Grimmjow, I want to talk to you in the kitchen – _alone_." I stated firmly. Grimmjow paled a little, like he was afraid I would go off again, and walked silently to the kitchen as everybody else settled into the living room. "Shin, Shiro, you guys pick out a movie. Each of you two pick ten movies from the collection and have people vote. We'll watch the one most picked. If there's a tie, I'll decide." They both nodded and Shinji wrenched himself from Nnoitra's grasp, leading Shiro to the Movie closet, as I grabbed Grimmjow by the arm roughly and dragged him into the kitchen.

I shoved Grimmjow into the pantry door and scowled at him fiercely. "What on _Earth_ do you think you're doing?!" I whispered harshly. He looked frightened.

"W-what d'you mean, Ichi? I-I don't recall- I mean, if you didn't want me to let my friends in-"

I shoved him in the shoulder – hard. I almost yelled at him, but managed to keep my voice down to a harsh whisper. "You brought a _gun_ in here and you didn't _tell me_?!" I demanded as I reached around him, and before he could react, I yanked the .22 caliber pistol out of his waistband. I popped the cartridge out and threw it on the island. I shook the gun in his face. "This is never allowed back in this house do you understand?! This is-" I was cut off as someone else came in. The one person I didn't want to see the gun. _Shinji._

"Hey, Ichi! It's a tie between 'The Conjuring' and 'Pacific Rim' so will you come-" Shinji stopped short in the doorway, his eyes going wide as he cut himself off with a huge gasp. Then, he started shaking, backing up. "N-nnnnnnnnno. Nonono. I-is th-that a – is that a pistol?" Shinji whispered. I hurriedly put it down, pushing the cartridge as far away from the pistol as physically possible on the island. "Yes, but Shin, it's not loaded, so – SHIRO GET IN HERE! NOW! – just calm down. It's okay." I stopped as Shiro skidded to a stop right behind Shinji.

"What is it, Ichi? What's – why's Shin shaking?" Shiro put his hands on Shinji's hips and turned him around slowly. He sucked in a breath at Shinji's silently weeping, wide-eyed face. I winced and went over to stand behind where Shinji was. I looked up at Shiro and looked into his eyes.

"I know you saw it, too, earlier. I know you're furious. Grimmjow just didn't know. Just…I'll make him his special tea, yeah? Don't get mad, Shiro, I mean it. It's not loaded anymore and it won't ever be in this house again. Take him in there, don't tell Nnoitra what's going on. Just let him sit between you and Nnoi and he'll be fine. And I don't care who wants to watch what. Put in Shin's favorite movie. I know you know it. Okay?" I whispered. Shiro nodded his consent and lead Shinji back to the living room with one hand on the small of his back and the other on his upper arm. It really made me happy that Shiro looked at Shinji like a brother and always helped him when I couldn't.

I turned back around to see Grimmjow looking down at the floor guiltily, like a scolded child…except, it was a little funny because he looked so fierce with his piercings and the glare he could pull off and how he was six-foot-four, at least. I sighed and walked over to him, knocking him on the forehead with my knuckled once. "Grimm…it really isn't your fault. Shinji's had a bad past with guns, hates them, would destroy every gun in the world if he was allowed. He…he's always kinda been oblivious to the world around him. After living in New York so long, I've picked up body language and signs. Things like how to tell if someone's in distress or upset, if they're comfortable or uncomfortable in a conversation. Things like _how to tell if they're reaching for a weapon._ I taught that to Shiro, so that he would know too. So, other than Toshiro, who taught himself like me, Shiro and I are the only ones in the group able to immediately recognize things like that. It really scared me when I saw you put your hand in reach of the gun. Don't get me wrong, I love shooting guns. I like rifles better than pistols, yes, but I'm still a really good shot with about any gun. Don't tell Shinji that, either. I'm sorry I got so mad, I just…it just really freaked me out. Oh, and don't tell Shinji this either, but I actually have a rifle under my bed and a really nice knife under my pillow. So, how about this. You can bring your gun with you, if you tell me before you get here. When you do, make sure to go straight to my bedroom and put under the bed, next to the rifle. And always unload it before you leave the room, okay? Otherwise, I don't mind. But, someday, you'll have to tell me why you're packing power in such a nice little town." I tapped him on the nose as he nodded and then went to start tea.

"Hey, Ichi?" Grimmjow asked. I hummed in response. "Hey, uh…d'ya think I could come and talk to ya if I needed to? Like…can I…" He trailed off as though he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. I turned towards him after I set the kettle to boil and walked back over to rest against the island in front of him. "Grimm, you can always tell me anything. Hell, I'm not even sure I'd care if you some drug cartel lord. I just know that I got my very first best friend back and I'm never losing him again. It was torture to go through Mom's death without someone else there. By the time I actually made friends, I had given up on getting over Mom's death and never talked about it with any one. All I could ever think was 'if I'd had Grimmjow, everything would be okay.' I always thought that someday you were going to appear on the football field, one day while I watched Shi practice and you were going to take off your helmet and look up and grin at me. You look a little different than I'd imagined you would when you grew up, but I still don't care. I just always wanted…I mean, I'd even look around sometimes, hoping I'd see you grinning at me or fighting with some twit that fucked with you about our hair again. But, no. Never. Now that I have you back, you're never leaving my sight again. So, yes. Grimm. In short, you can tell me anything, as long as you still talk to me." _Why am I talking so much? Why? I never talk this much?_ I breathed in a deep breath and turned back towards the stove to watch the kettle boil. I just wanted those thoughts to go away. I had just moved back to the first place I knew and something was already screwing with my mind.

The kettle whistled, and when I turned around to ask Grimmjow to grab some tea cups, he wasn't there. I sighed, grabbed a tray, and put thirteen cups on its surface. I filled them all with tea and made sure to turn all but one handle towards me so that I knew which one was Shinji's. I put a bit of Peppermint Oil in his to help sooth his headache and come Citrus Oil to help his nerves. We'd found a little bottle of each in a shop in Manhattan and it really seemed to help when he woke up with night terrors.

I set the tray down on the coffee table and handed Shinji's to him first. I let everybody else grab their cups and then plopped in Shiro's lap. I reached over and took the last cup and sipped at it while Shiro dragged a blanket down from the couch and laid it over us. I looked over to see Shinji sipping at his tea contently in Nnoitra's lap and Nnoitra running his fingers through Shinji's long blonde hair. I smiled and turned to sit sideways on Shiro's lap so that I could rest my head on his shoulder and fall asleep during the movie. Renji got up, put the movie in the player and pushed the start button. No one said a word for the rest of the time the movie was playing. Shinji fell asleep first, Nnoitra following closely behind, then Gin, Shiro, Nel, and I realized that Starrk had been asleep the whole time anyways. I fell asleep next, and when I woke up, the credits on the TV were playing and everybody was sleeping. Except…Grimmjow. He wasn't even in the room, but the front door was open, so I silently slipped away from Shiro and tiptoed to the door.

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**Well, thanks for reading! Please review! Any thoughts you have, I don't mind! **

**XD**

**-T**


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